


The Prom

by DiaboloFramboise



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Caroline wants a life of her own, F/M, Fluff, Klaus helps, Smut, Texting, she wants to move on from the mystic falls drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 08:03:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15681348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiaboloFramboise/pseuds/DiaboloFramboise
Summary: Klaus allows Tyler in town for the Prom. How Caroline is going to react?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! 
> 
> I'm currently forwarding my Klaroline stories from fanfiction.net to AO3. They are therefore old stories but you can give them a chance anyway :-) 
> 
> Thanks to Matt-on-Matt for beta reading

Caroline thoroughly scanned the room once more. Everything was going well. The music was playing, the buffet was all set up and the punch was overflowing. The entire gymnasium resonated with conversation and laugher, and the dance floor was full of enthusiastic students. Yes, Caroline could be proud of her work, especially with the conditions she had to plan the prom. Elena has been a bitch all through the process and had done her best to ruin everything. However, Caroline was too smart to let Elena bother her, and she had managed to get things exactly the way she wanted them to be in spite of Elena's behavior.

Her ex best-friend was actually fighting with Damon, who was trying to prevent her from feeding on anybody who was crossing her way. Caroline rolled her eyes and resolutely turned her head away from Elena. Tonight, she was going to have fun, and Elena could go to hell. She had been dreaming of prom since she was a little girl, and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin it. Caroline couldn't help but sigh while watching the couples swaying on the dance floor. She never thought she would be single on the evening of prom. Since she had been with Tyler, she had always pictured that night with him and she missed him more than ever tonight. Caroline snapped out of her thoughts when someone squeezed her arm softly. Stefan was at her side, extending his hand to her with a smile.

"Care for a dance?" he asked gently.

Caroline smiled and accepted his hand with a nod. Stefan was not really in the mood for the prom either, but like everybody else, he was trying to make the best of the evening. Caroline was grateful to him for that and for looking after her.

"Sure."

They chatted animatedly for a while before Matt cut in and asked to dance with Caroline. She accepted gladly and started to laugh with Matt, truly enjoying this moment of respite with her friends. Caroline grinned brightly at Bonnie who was now dancing with Stefan, and for the first time in a really long time, she felt a moment of genuine happiness. Nothing was perfect and they all had a lot of problems to deal with, but tonight was a very much needed break from all the drama. They were together; they were having a nice moment, and they had to enjoy it as much as they could.

Caroline's laugh suddenly got caught in her throat as her eyes spotted someone at the door of the gymnasium. She blinked, convinced that she was hallucinating but when she opened her eyes again, he was still here. Tyler. In a tuxedo. Smiling at her with a look of pure happiness on his face. Caroline dashed to him, an array of mixed emotions flooding through her body. Joy. Fear. Astonishment. She couldn't decide which one was predominant.

Caroline threw herself into Tyler's arms, smiling and crying at the same time and Tyler crushed her against him.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline exclaimed as the panic suddenly surpassed her happiness. "You can't be here, Tyler, if Klaus knows that you are in town…" Caroline's voice trailed off but Tyler smiled.

"Don't worry, Caroline. Klaus is the reason why I'm here."

Caroline frowned. "I don't understand."

Tyler sighed. "Klaus found me," he admitted. "He found me yesterday in Los Angeles and he told me to come back for the Prom."

Caroline made a strangled noise of stupefaction. "I don't understand," she repeated incredulously.

Tyler shrugged. "Between two threats and two speeches about how much I don't deserve you, he told me that he didn't want you to be alone for the Prom," he explained reluctantly. "So he told me to be here tonight but I have to leave again after."

Caroline scoffed, feeling suddenly torn between emotions she couldn't place or comprehend. She had believed for one second that Klaus had changed his mind about letting Tyler coming back to town, but it was too good to be true. Nevertheless, she knew that allowing Tyler into town for prom was a big gesture from Klaus. It was his way to show that he cared about her and Caroline couldn't help but feel touched.

Tyler took Caroline's face in his hands and smiled at her. "I am really happy to have the chance to see you, Caroline. I have thought about a lot of things during my absence and I'd like to talk to you. But before that, I want to enjoy the evening with you. This is our prom after all. Let's dance!"

Caroline laughed, contaminated by his enthusiasm. "You're right," she approved. "Let's dance."

Caroline fully enjoyed the rest of the evening. She finally had the prom she had always dreamt of, dancing with her boyfriend and laughing with her friends. Everything was perfect and for a few hours, Caroline let the happiness wash all over her without any second thoughts. But the evening came to an end and she knew that she would have to let the reality set in at some point. When the majority of the students had left the party, Tyler pulled Caroline outside and they sat on a bench, smiling at each other. Tyler wrapped his hands around Caroline's and took a deep breath.

"Caroline, I love you. You know that. And I don't want to be apart from you anymore. I know that Klaus will never let me come back here for good. Come with me, Care. Leave town with me and let's start again somewhere else together," he pleaded.

Caroline slowly lost her smile and lowered her head to avoid Tyler's burning gaze.

"I can't do that, Tyler," she whispered. "I can't just leave when Silas is ready to open the other side. I'm partly to blame for this situation and now I have to fix it. I texted you about how I am responsible for the last massacre. I can't let everybody to deal with Silas when I'm the one who helped him."

"I understand that, but what about us?" Tyler demanded forcefully. "I want to find a way to be with you, Caroline. There is no way I can let Klaus win and separate me from you," he added almost angrily.

Caroline stroked his hands soothingly but she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she said lowly. "I can't leave now. I can't leave my mum unprotected with everything that is going on."

Tyler sighed in frustration. "I know that," he ensured reluctantly. "But what about later then? You could join me."

Caroline stayed silent for a moment, not really sure about what to say and more importantly, how to say it.

"I don't know, Tyler," she murmured eventually. "I don't know anymore. So many things have changed lately that I genuinely don't know anymore."

Caroline hesitated but she had to be honest.

"I don't want to hold you back, Tyler and I don't want you to hold me back and right now, that's what we do, we are holding each other back. We can't be together right now and we don't know if we could ever be so maybe it's time for us to move on."

Caroline lifted her face to look at Tyler apprehensively. He seemed paralyzed with the shock but his face suddenly hardened.

"Does it have anything to do with Klaus?" he asked resentfully.

Caroline sighed and shook her head. "No, Tyler, it has nothing to do with Klaus," she maintained forcefully. "It has everything to do with me and what I want for myself. And the problem is that I actually don't know what I want for myself and I need to figure it out and I can't do that if I'm on the run with you. I'm sorry, Tyler but that's the way I feel."

Tyler lowered his head and closed his eyes, completely defeated.

"I love you, Care," he whispered brokenly.

Caroline swallowed, her heart clenching in her chest. "I love you too," she said softly. "And I'm so happy that you got to be here tonight. We both needed closure and this was the perfect way to do it. Now we know that we don't want the same things and that we have to move on."

"So this is another goodbye, then," Tyler stated bitterly. "A true one this time."

Caroline felt the tears forming in her eyes but she nodded slightly. Yes, it was a true goodbye. Tyler stood from the bench and lifted her face towards him.

"If you change your mind, I'll be there for you. Never forget that," he declared softly. Tyler then pressed a kiss to her forehead and was gone in a blur.

Caroline took a few minutes to wipe her tears away and she slowly went back into the gymnasium. Everybody had left, except Stefan who was obviously waiting for her. Caroline gave him a forced smile and Stefan hugged her. "Tyler left?" he guessed.

Caroline nodded. "He did. And this time I have a feeling that I won't be seeing him again for a long time."

Stefan smiled in sympathy and motioned to the door with his chin. "Come on, I'm driving you home, we can talk about it all night if you want."

Caroline shook her head. "Thank you, Stefan but I need a moment alone. I'm gonna stay here for a while and make a list of the things I have to do tomorrow to clean up with the committee."

Stefan frowned. "It's late, Caroline. The cleaning can wait."

"It can wait," she approved. "But you know me. The more upset I am, the more I like to clean," she added half jokingly.

Stefan chuckled and gave in.

"Okay, I'll leave you, then. If you need anything, just call, okay?"

Caroline nodded thankfully and Stefan left with a soft kiss on her cheek.

Caroline sighed deeply and threw a look around her to evaluate the work she would have to do the day after.

"How come you are always the one dedicated to the household?" an amused voice demanded behind her.

Caroline jumped and swirled on her heels to find Klaus at the door of the gymnasium. He wore a tuxedo and he was smiling at her but Caroline noticed that he seemed a little cautious, as if he was unsure of her reaction to his presence.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked. "And what's with the tuxedo?" she added with a raised eyebrow.

Klaus approached her and spread his arms to show his surroundings. "Well, I'm at a dance, so obviously, I'm expecting a dance. And you can't dance without a tuxedo, can you?"

Caroline couldn't help but smile. "You came to dance? You do realize that the party is over, right?" she mocked gently.

"As long as you are here, the party is still going, sweetheart."

Caroline lost her playful smile at his reply. It could have sounded like a pick up line from anybody else but the honesty of his eyes was unmistakable. Klaus had obviously come only to see her and he had had the gentleness to wait until she was alone to show up. He had made sure to not interfere with the time she had to spend with her friends and with Tyler. It was a nice thing to do, Caroline thought. And truthfully, Klaus had done a lot of nice things for her lately. Since they had agreed on some kind of friendship, Caroline had to admit that his company was pretty enjoyable. Klaus could be very thoughtful when he wanted to be, and he had an unmatched way of making her feel essential.

However, Caroline knew perfectly well that in the long run, Klaus wanted more than friendship. He had never tried to push her in any ways but sometimes she would catch his burning gaze on her, and the desire it held never failed to make her shiver. Klaus was so obviously affected by her presence that sometimes it was overwhelming, but not necessarily in a bad way. Caroline snapped out of her thoughts when Klaus extended his hand towards her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked courteously.

Caroline chuckled. "There is no music," she protested.

"We don't need music, sweetheart. Please."

Caroline gave him a soft smile and accepted his hand. Klaus wrapped his fingers around hers and placed his other arm around her waist. Caroline put her hand on his shoulder and let him slightly twirl her across the room.

They simply enjoyed each other company for a moment when Caroline suddenly broke their comfortable silence.

"Thank you," she whispered without looking at him.

Klaus nodded, not needing more precision on what she was thanking him for.

"I guess by your presence here that you decided not to run away with him?" he asked hesitantly. Caroline stiffened a little but she answered anyway.

"You guessed right," she mumbled.

"May I ask why?" Klaus demanded cautiously.

Caroline stiffened again and this time she stayed silent for so long that Klaus thought she wasn't going to answer him. She finally exhaled deeply and lifted her face to meet Klaus' gaze.

"I'm very happy that I saw Tyler tonight," Caroline declared. "It made me realize a lot of things."

Klaus encouraged her to keep going with a nod and Caroline started again.

"I'm eighteen, Klaus, and I have never left Mystic Falls. I'm going to be graduating and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I have always thought that I wanted a normal life but I'm not even sure that I still know what a normal life is."

Caroline paused and Klaus squeezed her hand to show her that he was listening.

"I need to figure out who I am and what I want, Klaus. I can't do that by staying here or by being on the run with someone. I have been so caught up in all the supernatural dramas during the last couple of years, that I never had the chance to think about what I really want to do with my life. I think it's time that I find out. I'm starting to know what I don't want, but I still need to figure out what I do want."

Caroline threw an interrogative look at Klaus. "Am I making any sense?" she muttered.

Klaus chuckled and nodded. "Absolutely, love," he affirmed convincingly. "You are very young and you haven't had an easy life. You have spent so much time taking care of your friends that you never had the opportunity to think about what you want for yourself. It's a good thing that you are starting to wonder now."

Caroline bit her lips thoughtfully and Klaus smiled at her. "May I ask what you plan to do to figure out what you want?" he demanded gently.

Caroline took the time to think about the question, but she realized that her decision was made long before.

"I'm gonna leave Mystic Falls," she declared confidently. "I'm gonna stay until the Silas problem is fixed and then I'm going to get on a plane and get away from here to have a life of my own. That's the reason why I was so happy to see Tyler tonight, "she admitted. "I could've never made that decision if I hadn't had some closure with him."

"So you broke up with him?"Klaus asked hesitantly.

A flash of sadness passed through Caroline's eyes when she nodded. "Yes, I did," she confirmed. "I'm glad that he was here tonight because I needed it. I needed to have the perfect prom with my perfect high school boyfriend to give a nice ending to the high school chapter of my life. I'm a grown up now and with high school over, it's time for me to move on."

Klaus couldn't help the hope which was slowly rising in his chest.

"Do you think you could use some company on the plane you're gonna take to get away from here?" he asked. His tone was playful but Caroline didn't miss neither the flash of vulnerability in his eyes or the slight shake in his voice.

Stopping their dance movements, Caroline took Klaus' face in her hands and she looked at him straight in the eyes.

"This is something I need to do alone, Klaus. I have never been alone and I need to know that I can do it. I need to know that I can travel, that I can make decisions, and that I don't need to rely on a man to be happy. I need to learn that I can be strong on my own."

Klaus swallowed. A flash of pain flashed across his features for a second and Caroline smiled at him.

"It doesn't mean that I'm cutting you out of my life," she offered softly. "It just means that I need time and some space to see what I can do on my own. Do you understand?"

Klaus sighed deeply but he nodded. "I do understand," he admitted reluctantly. "You need to have an experience on your own before you can know who you are and what you want. It's a good decision to leave this town, Caroline. You deserve so much better. I truly hope that you'll find what you are looking for."

Caroline smiled and resumed the slow movements of their dance, enjoying this moment of honesty between them. She knew Klaus would understand her. He always did. Klaus started to make her sway again, pulling her a little closer to him.

"So, if it doesn't mean that you cut me out of your life, is there any chance that I can call you from time to time to check up on you?" he asked hopefully. "That's what friends do, don't they? Check up on each other?" he added slyly.

Caroline laughed and Klaus relished the sound that had been so rare lately.

"If I don't agree to this, you're gonna send some minions of yours to follow me all around the world to make sure that I'm okay, aren't you?" she demanded playfully.

Klaus chuckled but didn't try to deny it. "Absolutely," he ensured.

Caroline laughed again and she gave him a genuine smile.

"Yes, Klaus. You can call me."


	2. Chapter 2

Day 1: Kingston, Jamaica

Caroline looked all around her and smiled in contentment. She already knew that she was going to love the Caribbean. The sun, the sea, the people, the food…everything seemed so perfect! Caroline walked towards the nearest beach and set her towel onto the sand, relishing the feeling of the sun on her skin. She couldn't believe that only yesterday she was still in Mystic Falls. For once in her life, Caroline had done exactly what she wanted to do. She had waited for the Silas problem to be taken care of and she had taken the first plane that was leaving Mystic Falls without even looking at the destination. The plane had landed in Jamaica and Caroline had wasted no time in taking a huge bikini shopping spree and heading for the beach. With a small smile, Caroline took her phone from her bag and composed a quick message.

_Jamaica. Suggestions? ___

__She didn't have to wait long for an answer._ _

_Nice spot for a first travel! I would suggest the Blue Mountains, the Reach Falls, the Black River, the Cockpit Country, the Rio Grande and the Spanish town. Don't forget to drink some Tia Maria and to eat a jerk chicken. Have fun, sweetheart!_

____

____

____Caroline smiled and lay down on her towel again. Who needed a tour guide when they had a thousand years hybrid to advise them?_ _ _ _

____ Day 20: Prague, Czech Republic _ _ _ _

_I just fell in love with the astronomical clock._

_One of my favorite clocks in the world. Did you see the castle and the old town?_

_Not yet. I'm on my way for on a cruise on the Vltava._

_Enjoy the view, sweetheart, it's beautiful. ___

______Caroline put her phone in her pocket and decided that she really enjoyed this new way of communication with Klaus._ _ _ _ _ _

______ Day 44: Monaco, France _ _ _ _ _ _

_I'm visiting the Grimaldi palace and I feel like a princess. I'm so jealous of Grace de Monaco right now!_

_I will give you a castle if you want, love. You just have to ask. ___

________Caroline chuckled at the screen of her phone. Who would have thought that a simple message from Klaus could make her grin like a fool?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ Day 69: St Petersburg, Russia _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Oh my God, you didn't lie; you really have a painting at the hermitage. I'm impressed!_

_When have I ever lied to you, love? Do you like it? ___

__________Caroline hesitated for a couple of seconds but she decided for an honest answer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I like everything that you paint. ___

____________She quickly pressed the send button to avoid thinking about her answer. Until now, her exchange of messages with Klaus had been strictly about the countries she was visiting, and advice about places she should see or food she should try. They had not shared anything really personal yet. Caroline had implicitly set the rules of the communication between them, choosing texting over calling and keeping her messages light and fun. She never told Klaus about the way she felt, and he was very careful not to cross this line._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Caroline had expressly asked for time and space, and he didn't want to push his luck. Klaus was never the one to initiate the texting, leaving the initiative to Caroline, and doing his best to refrain from asking how she was really doing. This message was actually the first personal thing that Caroline wrote to him, and Klaus couldn't help the huge smile that was spreading on his face. His answer was quick and he hoped that it carried the feeling of happiness that he felt right now._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_This is the most touching thing you have ever said to me… ___

______________Caroline smiled as she pictured the content look that she was positive was on Klaus' face right now. Knowing that she was the one responsible for that look suddenly made her happy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________After St Petersburg, Caroline gradually started to open up a little bit more to Klaus. She told him about her moods, her thoughts, the way some places made her feel. She also asked more about him. She knew he was dealing with some trouble in New Orleans, and she regularly asked him how things were going. To say that Klaus was happy with that evolution in their relationship was an understatement. His phone was never out of sight and he was constantly waiting for a new message. One day, when Caroline had been particularly cheerful and communicative in her messages, Klaus decided to push his luck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_May I ask how are you really doing, love? Is this traveling thing giving you what you were looking for? ___

________________Caroline bit her lips and stared at her phone for a long time. It was the very first time that Klaus was pressing a personal issue and it unsettled her a little. He had always been so careful with his questions that Caroline felt uneasy at his bluntness. But after all, why not? She had asked him a lot of things during the past weeks, and it was unfair not to allow him to reciprocate. Making her decision, Caroline quickly wrote her answer._ _______________

____

____

_I'm fine and I'm enjoying myself. It feels good to do what I want; but to be honest, it's a little scary to be on my own for the first time. ___

__________________Caroline sent the message without re reading it and after a slight hesitation she wrote another one._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_It helps me a lot to talk to you every day. It makes me feel safe. Thank you for being there every time I need you. ___

____________________Caroline pressed the send button with a little lump in her throat and when her phone buzzed less than 5 seconds later, her heart abruptly picked up its rhythm. Klaus' answer was extremely short but Caroline smiled all day after reading it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Anything for you. ___

______________________ Day 102: London, England _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_You win. I'm in London. You never told me how dirty the Thames is!_

_Be careful, love. One bad word about England could make me very mad. ___

________________________Caroline burst into laughter when she read Klaus' answer. He had been talking her into visiting England ever since she had left Mystic Falls but she had resisting until now. The curiosity finally got the best of her, and she didn't regret it as she was wandering through Regent's Park. After a couple of weeks in the capital, Caroline gave in._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I admit it. You were right. I am madly in love with London._

_I'm always right, Caroline. You should know that by now. ___

__________________________Caroline laughed and she realized that she was doing that more and more at each new message from Klaus._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________ Day 148: Cairo, Egypt _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I have decided to live here. How can a country be so beautiful?!_

_May I point out that you said the same thing about the last five countries you visited?_

_Is it my fault if everyplace I visit is beautiful? By the way, what is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen? ___

____________________________The answer was extremely quick to come._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_You. ___

______________________________Caroline didn't answer to the message but she read it over and over again during the next days. And every time, it made her smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________ Day 221: Brussels, Belgium _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Do you think I can still get fat even though I'm a vampire? Because I just can't stop eating French fries and waffles!_

_I think that as long as you are happy, you will always be beautiful whatever your weight is._

_Do you know you are becoming cheesy?_

_Yes. And I don't care. ___

________________________________Caroline chuckled and noticed that she was suddenly happy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________ Day 302: Nairobi, Kenya _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Do you think I can adopt a lion or an elephant?_

_No problem. I'm building a zoo for you right now. ___

__________________________________Caroline grinned at the screen of her phone and she pressed the device against her heart. It may have been ridiculous, but her phone had become one of her most important possessions lately. And it was not because it was matching her new purse. It was because she couldn't help but wait for the little ring announcing that she had a new message. It was because she couldn't help but hope that the new message would be from Klaus. And it was because she couldn't help but think that she was missing him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________ Day 365: ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus was getting worried. Caroline hadn't texted him since almost a week and he had no idea where she was. It was the first time since she had left that she had gone so long without talking to him. Klaus knew that Caroline didn't want to be pushed but he was too worried. He sent her three messages in a row to urge her to tell him that she was fine. To his greatest surprise, the screen of his phone lit up after the third message, but it wasn't a new message. It was a call. From Caroline. Klaus' throat suddenly became dry and he almost broke his phone in his eagerness to pick up the call._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Caroline?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________There was a couple of second of silence and finally, finally, after a year of deprivation, he heard her voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Hello, Klaus."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus closed his eyes and he noticed that his hands were shaking. He would have never thought that hearing her voice could affect him so much._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Are you okay, sweetheart? I was worried," he asked slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline inhaled deeply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you worried. I needed a little time to think about my next destination and I got lost. I needed to know which way to go."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline's voice seemed anxious and Klaus frowned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Are you sure that you're okay?" he demanded more firmly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Before Caroline could answer, the bell to his apartment rung and Klaus swore between his teeth, making Caroline chuckle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Go answer the door, Klaus. It could be important."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Just give me a couple of seconds to get rid of whoever is here and I'll be back."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus dashed to the door, determined to exterminate whoever dared to interrupt his first talk with Caroline in a year but his roar got caught in his throat when he opened the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________On his threshold._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Clutching her phone on her shaking hand._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Looking at him with uncertainty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline swallowed hard and made two attempts before succeeding in talking._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Sorry for coming unannounced," she whispered shakily. "I was in Mystic Falls to see my mum and I knew you were in New Orleans and I couldn't stop thinking about you and I didn't know how to tell you that I wanted to see you so I took a plane and here I am," Caroline rambled pretty erratically as she was waiting for Klaus to say something._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________But Klaus was paralyzed. Unable to move or utter a word. He hadn't seen Caroline in a year and all of the sudden, she was there. Right in front of him. So close that he could touch her if he stretched his arms. Klaus' eyes raked over her, hungrily taking in her beautiful form. Her long blond hair was perfectly curled and brushed her tanned shoulders. Her blue eyes were soft and bright while looking at him. Her lips were plump and slightly parted, revealing the pearl of her teeth. The soft curves of her body were disclosed by a sun dress. She was ravishing. Even more than Klaus could remember. He couldn't stop devouring her with his eyes, desperately trying to make up for the whole year he hadn't seen her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus was so taken by the apparition of Caroline in front of him that it took him a few minutes to notice how nervous she was. Her face was contorted in anxiety and she was frantically twisting her fingers. She looked at him with such apprehension that Klaus frowned before the realization suddenly dawn on him. Caroline was terrified of the way he was going to welcome her. They hadn't seen each other over a year and she wasn't sure if he still wanted her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Abruptly getting out of his trance, Klaus cradled her face in his hands and crushed his lips against hers. He acted so fast that Caroline didn't see him move and she gasped in surprise. Klaus immediately took advantage of her gasp to deepen the kiss and Caroline's gasp turned into a moan. She desperately gripped Klaus' shoulders to support her and Klaus slid his hands along her sides to wrap his arms around her waist. Crushing her against him, Klaus hungrily devoured her mouth, plunging and delving fervently into the wet heat. For a very long moment, there was no talking, no thoughts, no questions, no interrogations, no nothing. Only two people, passionately kissing each other and trying to pour a year of absence, missing, and frustration into this kiss. When Klaus finally released Caroline's mouth, they were both out of breath and Caroline leant her head on his chest to calm her thundering heart._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"I wouldn't have been so worried to see you again if I had known you would welcome me this way," she whispered breathlessly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus smiled and slid an arm under her knees to lift her from the ground. He closed the door with his foot and carried Caroline to the couch where he sat with Caroline in his arms. She settled onto his lap and snuggled into him, burying her face in the crook of his neck with a happy sigh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"I've missed you, Klaus," she whispered against his skin. "I needed this time alone, I needed to know that I could handle myself but I have missed you so much. The more time passed, the more I grew impatient for your messages. And yesterday it was just too much. Messages were not enough anymore, Klaus. I needed to see you. I needed to touch you. I need you. I know what I want now, and it's you."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline lifted her head to look at Klaus and he didn't miss the anxiety in her eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Please tell me I'm not too late," she murmured almost pleadingly. "Please tell me that you still want to be with me."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus chuckled incredulously. How could she doubt for a second the way he felt about her?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Caroline, I have never missed anybody like I have missed you. This year, without seeing you, has been unbearable. You have no idea how many times I have been close to breaking my word to you and taking a plane to join you wherever you were."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline smiled softly at him, finally allowing the relief to wash over her. Leaning against Klaus, she pressed her lips to his and sighed in delight when she felt him kissing her back. Caroline let Klaus take the lead, relishing the way he was making her shiver. Klaus kissed her tenderly and slowly. He took his time, burying his hands in her curls and massaging her scalp while softly nibbling on her lips. Caroline leant further into his touch, slightly parting her lips and silently begging him to deepen the kiss. Klaus complied unhurriedly, caressing her tongue with his and Caroline moaned as she clutched to the nape of his neck. Klaus kept exploring her mouth without hurry, taking the time to tame every inch on his way. Excruciatingly slowly, he stroked, nibbled, sucked and licked every part of Caroline's mouth, until she was writhing in his arms. She had never been kissed like this. Never. She had never known those slow, languid and langurous kisses that were provoking jolts of electricity throughout her whole body, that were making her desperate for more._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"I want you, Klaus," Caroline whispered shakily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Klaus pressed one more lingering kiss on her swollen lips and cradled her face in his hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________"Are you sure?" he asked a little breathlessly. "Think about it, Caroline. There is no going back after this."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Caroline swallowed, but she nodded frantically. "I'm sure. I want you. Make love to me, Klaus."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Please consider leaving kudos or reviews if you enjoyed the story :-)


	3. Chapter 3

Klaus paused briefly, his eyes boring into Caroline's, as he tried to make sure that she was fully aware of what she was committing to. As Caroline's gaze held nothing else but certainty and impatience, Klaus finally smiled before lifting her from the couch and carrying her to his bedroom. Taking Caroline's mouth again, Klaus lay her on the bed and slid his mouth along her jaw line until he reached her neck. Caroline panted when he sucked at her pulse point and slid her hands under his shirt to touch the bare skin. Klaus' hands traveled along her body, ending their journey by pulling up the hem of her dress to caress her thighs. As Caroline arched into his touch, Klaus took it as a signal to completely remove the dress along with her shoes. Sighing in approval, Caroline helped Klaus get rid of his shirt and made him roll over on the bed to straddle him. Klaus raised an interrogative eyebrow and Caroline smiled.

"I have missed you so much, Klaus" she whispered lowly. "I need to touch you. I need to make up for a whole year without seeing you. Please let me. I'll let you do whatever you want to do with me after, but first, please let me enjoy your body."

Klaus swallowed, not sure of what she meant exactly but he nodded anyway. Whatever she wanted to do with him, he was completely sure that he would be on board with it.

Caroline leaned on Klaus, placing tender kisses on the crook of his neck, and darting her tongue to taste his skin. She trailed a path of kisses from one shoulder to another, admiring Klaus' musculature on her way. Caroline then pressed languorous kisses all along his chest, relishing the feeling of the hard muscles under the skin. She made small bite marks over Klaus' torso, gently working her human teeth on his flesh, and soothing the marks with her tongue. When Caroline reached his belly, Klaus was breathing heavily. Caroline unbuckled his belt, and slowly opened the buttons of his jean one by one, kissing every spot of skin that she was gradually revealing. Klaus grunted when she reached the last button and couldn't help but buck his hips.

With a smile, Caroline completely removed his jeans and his boxers in one move, pushing his shoes off on the way. She resumed her sensual ministrations on Klaus' bare flesh, licking his inner tights and the hollow of his groin. But she didn't want to tease him. Not today. She would have plenty of time to torture him, but it would be something for later. Today, she only wanted to make up for the whole year she had made him wait before being together.

Kneeling between Klaus' legs, Caroline leaned further and took his length in her mouth. Klaus groaned loudly and gripped the sheets of the bed. It was exquisite. Caroline wrapped her lips around him and unhurriedly licked his shaft, bobbing her head up and down, taking the time to savor the way he tasted. She moved torturously slowly, obviously enjoying what she was doing, as much as the sounds which were coming from his mouth. Caroline quickened her pace, twirling her tongue around the tip of his length and Klaus gritted his teeth. The pleasure was increasing quickly and it was the most delicious agony he had ever felt. Caroline grazed her teeth along him and Klaus arched against the bed, unable to stop himself from bucking his hips.

Feeling that he was losing control, Caroline intensified her ministrations. She engulfed him in her mouth, hollowing her cheeks to deepen the sensation and twirling her tongue all along his shaft. When she focused on his sensitive tip, Klaus arched against her mouth as a desperate call of her name fell from his lips. Caroline drew a last random pattern with her tongue on the oversensitive flesh and Klaus came hard, ripping the sheets to shred as he groaned Caroline's name. She rode his orgasm, waiting for the last wave of pleasure to recede, to let go of him, and to crawl back up his body. Klaus collapsed on the bed, barely managing to wrap his arms around Caroline when she pressed a kiss on his mouth.

"I think I just died," Klaus muttered. "You killed me and I'm dead."

Caroline laughed and kissed him tenderly. "I'm glad you liked it," she whispered. "I really wanted to make up for making you wait for a year. I hope I did a good job."

"Irrefutably, love," Klaus mumbled.

After a couple of minutes of recovering from his high, Klaus grinned wolfishly and rolled over Caroline to pin her to the mattress with his body.

"If I remember correctly, you promised I could do anything I want with you after this, am I right?" he asked impishly.

Caroline smiled and nodded.

"Anything you want," she confirmed a little breathlessly.

Klaus bowed his head to kiss her, letting his hands roam eagerly over her body. As Caroline tightly wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close, Klaus unhooked her bra to cup her bare breasts. Caroline moaned into his mouth as he slowly started to stroke the sensitive nipples. When he elicited another moan from Caroline, Klaus lowered himself onto her body, and replaced his hands with his mouth. Caroline arched against him, a broken cry falling from her lips. Klaus took the time to savor the taste of the delicious flesh, licking and nibbling softly until Caroline writhed beneath him. Keeping a hand on her breast, Klaus lowered the other one on her body, brushing the skin all along until he reached her tights. He hooked a finger on the waistband of her thong and slid it down her legs.

As soon as he had Caroline out of her last undergarment, Klaus pressed his hand against her clit, making Caroline cry out. He languidly played with it before sliding two fingers inside of her. Caroline dug her nails in Klaus' shoulders, bucking against his hand. Content with the way she responded, Klaus slowly moved his fingers, provoking agonizing jolts of pleasure in Caroline's whole body. A whimper fell from her lips and Klaus swallowed it with a passionate kiss. He brushed her clit with his thumb in addition to what his fingers were doing and Caroline cried into his mouth. Her hips started to move frantically against his hand and he could tell how close she was. Her head rolled on the mattress when he applied a little more pressure on her clit and she cried again. Klaus suddenly stopped every movement to focus on her face.

"Look at me," Klaus ordered huskily. "I want to see your eyes when you come."

Caroline complied with difficulty, her eyelids heavy and her gaze clouded with need.

"Klaus," she whimpered. "Please."

As soon as Klaus resumed the work of his fingers, Caroline convulsed around them, screaming his name and struggling to keep her gaze lock with his as he had asked. The sight of her beautiful face twisted in pleasure was enough to make Klaus immediately rock hard again. With a low growl, he feverishly kissed Caroline who was still helplessly writhing under him.

"You are beautiful when you come, my love," he whispered raspily. "I'm gonna make you come again and again."

Klaus then left her mouth and slowly kissed his way down her body. Hooking her legs on his shoulders, he wasted no time to swipe his tongue against her clit. Caroline cried out, the previous wave of ecstasy only starting to fade when the new one begun. She tried to tell Klaus to stop, still overwhelmed by the sensations of her last orgasm and not sure that her body could handle more. Klaus then flattened his tongue against her clit, and asking him to stop became the last thing on Caroline's mind.

"Don't stop," she whimpered. "Oh, God, Klaus, please don't stop."

Increasing the speed of his movements, Klaus had Caroline coming again in a matter of minutes, trashing against his mouth and ripping the sheets he had already brutalized previously. Unable to get enough of the sounds that she was incessantly making, Klaus kept licking and sucking at her, adding two of his fingers inside of her to increase the sensation. Caroline screamed when he curled them and she came for the third time, feverishly calling his name.

Klaus languorously kissed her inner thighs and the soft flesh of her stomach before propelling himself up toward Caroline's face. She was breathing heavily, her eyes tightly closed and her fingers still fisted in the sheet. Klaus kissed her tenderly, stroking her cheeks as he patiently let her coming down from her high. Caroline eventually opened her heavy eyelids to look adoringly at Klaus.

"I'm dead too," she whispered. Klaus laughed and kissed her again.

"Well, I hope there is still a shred of energy inside of you, my love because we are not finished," he declared playfully. Caroline smiled softly and lifted her head to press a kiss on his lips.

"I will always have enough energy to want you, Klaus," she murmured on his ear. "I want you. I want you inside of me."

Caroline wrapped her legs around Klaus' waist, urging him to give in to her request. Klaus complied eagerly, holding the back of her tights to slide inside of her. Caroline dug her heels on his back, trying to make him go deeper as she raised her hips to meet him. Klaus leant to kiss her as he thrust slowly into her. Caroline wrapped her arms around his chest, pulling him as close to her as she could. Klaus took advantage of a moan to deepen the kiss and stroke Caroline's tongue with his, making her completely melt in his embrace.

"I love you, Caroline," Klaus whispered on her ear.

Caroline fluttered her eyes open, his words suddenly piercing the haze of pleasure she was on. She smiled tenderly at Klaus and tightened her grip around his chest.

"I love you too," she murmured.

Klaus' face brightened and he kissed her again, quickening his pace at the same time. Caroline gasped in his mouth and the romantic mood suddenly snapped. Klaus lowered his head to close his mouth around her nipple as he dug his hands on her hips to angle her the way he wanted. Caroline cried out at the new position and her nails scraped his back. The pleasure was increasing so quickly that it was almost scary. How could she be already so desperate for a release when she already had three searing ones?

Klaus raised her hips higher, changing the angle again and making Caroline scream. His thrusts became more erratic as Caroline was frantically bucking against him. She was so close that it was almost painful but she didn't want to let go already. It was so good to hold back at the very edge of the release, while her body was agonizing in pure ecstasy. Caroline restrained herself as long as she could, her body tightening and straining, but when Klaus flicked his thumb against her clit, she lost it. Caroline convulsed violently against Klaus as the pleasure hit her with full force. She screamed his name, her head tossing on the pillow and her body thrashing helplessly against Klaus. The sight of Caroline coming undone so violently was enough to send Klaus over the edge. His hands dug deeper into her hips as the searing pleasure shot through him, making his whole body shudder in bliss. He rode the wave of ecstasy, thrusting a few more times into Caroline before collapsing on top of her.

If today was any indication, their life together seemed exceedingly promising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Please consider leaving kudos or reviews if you enjoyed the story :-)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Please consider leaving kudos or reviews if you enjoyed the story :-)
> 
> I hope the Forwood part wasn't too long, I really wanted to write a proper break up between them. I think that Caroline needs real closure to move on. And I hope that you are not too disappointed that Caroline doesn't want to leave town with Klaus now. In my opinion, she really needs to be on her own for a while to know what she wants.


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